Driver accused in Little Havana hit-and-run that killed woman now facing vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter
According to updated arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami, 32-year-old Ivana Gomez is now facing vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter charges after her toxicology report showed she had blood alcohol content (BAC) levels over the legal limit when she hit and killed 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis in the early hours of May 30.
"The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others," the updated arrest documents said.
When Gomez was first arrested, she faced several other charges, including leaving the scene of a crash involving death and resisting arrest without violence.
City of Miami Police noted in the arrest documents that Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Laura Adams was notified and briefed about Gomez's additional charges.
The crash that shut down Little Havana for hours
Just after 1 a.m. on May 30, Miami Police said Gomez was driving a blue 2019 BMW 330i westbound on Southwest 7th Street at high speeds when a nearby officer saw her speeding past him near 16th Avenue. According to the updated arrest documents, Gomez was driving so fast that the officer had to "travel over 100 mph" just to catch up with her.
As the officer was catching up with Gomez, he witnessed her strike Kipnis with such force that a chunk of her hair became embedded in the car's windshield and headrest. According to the updated arrest documents, Kipnis was carried by Gomez's car for approximately 231 feet before her body was "violently thrown off" the vehicle. She died at the scene.
The officer immediately turned on his emergency lights and continued to pursue Gomez until she stopped at a red light at Beacom Boulevard, where her car — showing heavy front-end damage — was blocked in by traffic.
Police said when they interacted with Gomez, she smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and failed an eye exam during field sobriety testing. She refused further testing and asked for a lawyer.
While she was sitting in the back of a police vehicle, Gomez spontaneously told officers the victim was a "homeless person" and claimed it was "just an accident," arrest documents said.
Despite her refusal, Miami Fire Rescue conducted two blood draws after police obtained a search warrant. During the second attempt, officers had to forcibly move Gomez into a fire rescue truck for the procedure. Authorities noted in the arrest documents that they found what appeared to be fresh vomit inside her car during the investigation.
Southwest 7th Street was shut down for several blocks that morning as police and first responders investigated. CBS News Miami crews on the scene saw officers surrounding the area where Kipnis' body remained, and later observed Gomez receiving a medical exam two blocks from the crash site.
On Monday, Miami Police received the final toxicology report from the University of Miami's Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. According to updated arrest documents, the results from the exigent blood draw — taken about two-and-a-half hours after the crash — revealed that her BAC levels were between 0.162 and 0.159 g/100ml. The legal BAC limit in Florida is 0.08 g/100ml or 0.08%.
During the first blood draw after the search warrant was issued, Gomez's BAC levels were between 0.112 and 0.0109 g/100ml, which was taken approximately four hours and 47 minutes after the crash. The second blood draw showed her BAC levels were at 0.088, nearly six hours after the crash, the updated arrest documents said.
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